Oscar Grant

Activist Lateefah Simon ran for the BART Board of Directors, and won, in part because of the killing of Oscar Grant. She’s now helping the agency navigate troubled waters following the killing by BART police of another young, unarmed black man — Sahleem Tindle.

What happens when a loved one is shot and killed by law enforcement? On the February 18th edition of Your Call, we’ll continue our series on police, community, race, and justice by speaking with families whose loved ones have been killed by police. We’ll find out what their experiences were like with the legal system, the media, and their local communities. What changes would they like to see? And when it comes to policies, do they feel like their voices are being heard? What questions do you have for family members? It’s Your Call, with Rose Aguilar and you.

For the past eight years, one weekend in late summer brings first responders from across the country and around the world -- firemen, medics, SWAT teams and police officers -- to Alameda County for Urban Shield, one of the largest law enforcement training exercises in the country.

The August shooting of Michael Brown touched off protests and sparked a national discussion about race and justice. The 18-year-old African-American man was unarmed when he was shot multiple times by a Ferguson, Missouri police officer. Youth Radio reporter Myles Bess lives in Oakland, California, and five years ago he lived through the police shooting of another unarmed black teen, Oscar Grant. Bess traveled to Ferguson for the protests and the funeral of Michael Brown, and he sent us this audio postcard reflecting on what happens next as things quiet down in that town.

When moviegoers talk about the film Fruitvale Station, which pulled in $4.7 million over the weekend, they often talk about the sobbing that you hear in the theater as the credits roll, especially noticeable because the tears flow openly from the men in the audience.

I don't know how I should feel about the George Zimmerman verdict. I was the same age as Trayvon Martin when he was killed. It was the first shooting case that got national attention where I felt connected -- like I could relate. When I first heard the story, it seemed clear: Trayvon Martin was young and he was murdered. I thought it would be an open and shut case. As time progressed, it changed. The more information came out, the more complicated the case became. And then the verdict was announced. I wasn’t surprised. But I was emotionless. Should I be angry? Should I be sad? I felt like goop. No shape. No structure.